2015-12-02
Travel Scheme Investigations
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, travel agent Xana Kamitsis was found guilty of 20 counts of obtaining benefit by deception relating to false invoices for government travel. Your department has confirmed over $400 000 worth of ministerial travel was booked through Latitude Travel over the last two financial years. Over $312 000 was booked by the office of the Minister for Housing, whose senior adviser is on corruption charges. I seek leave to table the department’s answer.
Leave granted.
Mr GUNNER: Will you now commit to a full independent audit of all travel booked through Latitude Travel so Territory taxpayers can be assured their money has not been misappropriated?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it was interesting to read the newspaper yesterday and see the commentary about Xana Kamitsis. I was reflecting with the Health minister about what we have done since coming to government. I remember the barbs that were thrown across this Chamber about our investigation into the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme, relating to travel.
Coming into government, we recognised that things did not look right, and we undertook an immediate investigation. The member for Araluen may have been Health minister at the time, or maybe the member for Fong Lim. We undertook the investigation and handed it to police immediately, without fear or favour. We are keen to get to the bottom of that investigation.
To date there has been much public discussion and court proceedings with people being charged in regard to the PenCon scheme. We have lost a Police Commissioner in that time and it shows, without fear or favour, we are very keen to get to the bottom of what goes on in government administration.
Ms Walker: We should get to the bottom of your allegations of a coup against you by senior members of police.
Mr GILES: You can keep screaming across the Chamber, member for Nhulunbuy, but the interesting component is we identified these things as occurring when you were in government and we undertook the investigation.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; it is a very direct question. Will you now commit to a full and independent audit of all travel booked through Latitude Travel?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, please be seated. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: Investigations have been conducted up hill and down dale, but the important thing about the PenCon investigation which was undertaken …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Elferink: The Auditor-General pointed it out and you did nothing.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, you know not to call across the floor. You have done it consistently today and yesterday. You are on a warning.
Mr GUNNER: Standing Order 110; the Chief Minister is talking about the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme. I asked about travel booked by his department, not the PenCon scheme.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader. The Chief Minister has time to answer the question.
Mr GILES: You know it has been discussed before; you are just trying to wave another flag to the NT News to get yourself a story, Leader of the Opposition.
The PenCon scheme has been investigated. We followed due process. We found that while you were in government the fraudulent elements were …
Ms Fyles: We are talking about the travel you booked.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff!
Mr GILES: We investigated what occurred when you were in government and found anomalies we were not happy with. We conducted the investigation. We have seen the outcomes of the court proceedings, which show the process was fair, just and warranted.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Do not say Standing Order 110.
Ms FYLES: Standing Order 109; the Chief Minister has not answered the question. Why will he not hold an audit into his office’s ministerial travel?
Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: I am happy with the way my staff and the officers within the Chief Minister’s office conduct their travel. Everybody is allowed to have due process and the benefit of innocence until being found guilty. We have booked a range of travel through a range of agencies, as have many Northern Territory government employees in other agencies. As long as we are following those correct processes …
Ms Fyles: Look into it; $312 000 from one office is a huge amount.
Mr GILES: Scream across the Chamber as much as you want. It is the end of the year, member for Nightcliff; please lift your standards in this Chamber.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Travel Scheme Investigations
Travel Scheme Investigations
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Given the deliberately limited scope of the previous audit, which only looked at the period between June 2014 and June 2015, will you now accept that only a full and independent forensic audit, looking at all ministerial travel booked through Latitude Travel, will restore confidence in the integrity of travel undertaken by you and your ministers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Auditor-General does that. The stunt you performed in parliament last sittings, where you made the member for Araluen head of the PAC - you can do that. You already have those powers. Grow up and learn your job.
CLP – Plan for Territorians
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
The people of Palmerston are very happy that now, after years of being slugged at the bowser, we are paying some of the cheapest fuel prices in the country. Can you outline the Country Liberal government’s plan for lowering the cost of living and delivering jobs and opportunities for Territorians? Can you outline whether there are any alternatives?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are no positive alternatives. Here is another thing we fixed. Not only did we fix the PenCon scheme, which was poorly administered by the former Labor government, but we had to fix fuel prices, which were driven up by the former Labor government.
We have recently driven down electricity prices, as announced last weekend, by 5% and have not implemented the 2.5% rise. We have also driven down house prices. What was interesting for those who followed parliament yesterday was the debate, the poorly advised stunt the Leader of the Opposition brought on, especially when it came to the comments from the member for Karama and the relationship with house prices.
Ms Fyles: You are obsessed with the member for Karama.
Mr GILES: The member for Karama is the quasi-Labor Opposition Leader. We all know that; everybody can see it. She is pulling the strings of the Labor Party. She has the members for Nightcliff and Casuarina on a string following her around everywhere. We saw the Leader of the Opposition try to put the knife into …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; can the unelected Chief Minister come back to the point of the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, withdraw that.
Ms FYLES: I withdraw.
Mr GILES: The Leader of the Opposition tried to put the knife into the member for Karama saying, ‘We apologise. We got housing and lands and planning completely wrong when we were in government.’ He knows the member for Karama was the Lands and Planning minister; he is just trying to put the barb in. He also knows over his right shoulder is the member for Wanguri, who was the adviser to the Housing minister at the time.
While the Leader of the Opposition is trying to run a deeply divided opposition, with the quasi-member of the Labor Party sitting at the back left - the member for Karama - he is trying to play all the different flanks, having a crack at the member for Karama for getting lands and planning, and housing, wrong.
But do not worry; like PenCon, we have fixed it. We have fixed fuel, housing and electricity prices, and we are releasing land like never before. We continue to do that.
The member for Nhulunbuy could not manage the changes to the refinery in Nhulunbuy; she did nothing but scream, so we tried to help. The member for Nightcliff was talking about law and order yesterday. We will try to fix those issues in Nightcliff as well.
We continue to clean up Labor’s mess. That was for all to see yesterday when we saw the outcomes with Xana Kamitsis. The CLP government is cleaning up Labor mess yet again.
It is a positive statement; we are tough on law and order. We are tough on the PenCon scheme, drunks and assaults on our streets, and we will continue to be unashamedly tough on law and order.
Teacher Numbers
Ms MANISON to MINISTER for EDUCATION
In this parliament you recently said:
- I am proud we have reduced the number of bureaucrats in the education system and pushed them into schools.
According to your department’s annual report, the number of classroom teachers declined from 2044 in June 2012 to 1880 in June 2015, which is a loss of more than 160 teachers from Territory schools. Will you now admit, far from reducing the number of bureaucrats and pushing them into schools, you have in fact slashed the number of teachers in Territory schools?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Wanguri. They are jealous because the results are improving across the Territory. They are jealous in this space. When we came into this parliament we inherited an education system - and I remind members opposite that in the last few years there were 170 extra students in the Northern Territory and the department grew by 780 staff. If we had kept doing things that way, what position would we be in today? It was not focused on results.
Some of the numbers in public schools across the Territory have dropped. Some students have gone to the private sector. I welcome that because it gives parents the choice of what education suits their child or children.
Schools are funded based on attendance, so if attendance rates go up there will be more teachers. There is no cap on teacher numbers. We do not have a cap on teacher numbers in the Territory because we fund schools based on attendance by pupils.
Members interjecting.
Mr CHANDLER: They do not want to listen because - guess what - they are jealous, because we have a great education system, backed by fantastic teachers doing a remarkable job in the classroom.
They talk about cuts as though spending money is an outcome. It is not. Focus on results. Every dollar that is spent in the right area of education is welcomed by the sector and will continue to be funded by this government.
We are doing the budgets for next year and you will be surprised by how much is going into education. Not only will you see record budgets, you will see vital infrastructure that is required. I love how they get so wound up about education. We know what they did and what their results were. What is their plan? The only plan they have is to go back to the way it was before. I prefer the results we are getting today to the results we got under you mob.
We have better results today. It is a far more effective and efficient system. I take my hat off to the hard workers in education, who have been through massive reforms, but those reforms were needed. Education is going in the right direction in the Northern Territory. I am proud to be a minister in a fantastic team. We have seen improved results from our students across the Territory.
Power and Water – Possible East Arm Depot
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
I understand Power and Water has bought a large parcel of land near East Arm for a depot. I have also heard the Power and Water electrical maintenance depot near Freds Pass may be closed and moved to East Arm as a cost-saving measure. Can you please confirm if this is true and, if so, can you please reverse this decision and make sure the maintenance depot stays in the rural area? When there is a storm or an accident and the lights are out, it makes good sense to have the maintenance crew stationed in the middle of the rural area, not in the middle of East Arm.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I appreciate getting some advance notice on the question so we could put together an answer that provides you with the information you need.
Power and Water’s McMinns pumping station at the 19 Mile depot, which I presume we are talking about, is used jointly by water services and power networks. The McMinns water storage and distribution facility is a part of the Darwin region water supply system. Water supplied to the Darwin, Palmerston and rural areas is distributed from this facility. The facility receives bulk water supplies from Darwin River Dam and the McMinns and Howard East borefields, and includes major ground-level water storage, major water pump stations and chlorination and disinfection facilities. Power and Water has also recently completed major upgrades to the pump stations. This facility will remain the primary water storage and distribution facility for Darwin and Palmerston in the future. Currently, there are no plans to close the power network’s 19 Mile depot.
The Allwright Training Centre is ongoing at the 19 Mile site for local training of apprentices. In answer to your question, member for Nelson, there are no plans to close that facility and relocate it.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question relates to the electrical maintenance depot, which is next to the pumping station. The question is not about the water; it is about the electrical maintenance depot stationed at Freds Pass. The concern is it will be shifted to East Arm.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: I will take that on notice. If I can get further information from Power and Water I will endeavour to provide it by the end of Question Time. The 19 Mile facilities will not be closed. I will seek the specific information you are chasing, member for Nelson, and try to get back to you before the end of Question Time.
Land Release Program
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
The Country Liberal government came to power in 2012 and did a great deal of work addressing Labor’s soft-on-crime approach to law and order. There was 12 years of neglect in that area and in the PenCon scheme - which was highlighted today by the Chief Minister - as well as the Territory’s finances, which were presided over by the member for Karama. One area where we have made terrific inroads is the biggest land release policy in the Territory’s history.
How has the land release program improved under a Country Liberal government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. I will start by continuing from where the Chief Minister left off. Without a doubt we came to government and found the worst housing and accommodation crisis in the Territory’s history. Housing and rent prices were the highest in the country and it was the biggest issue on people’s minds when talking about the cost of living. Thousands of people were complaining about their children not being able to afford a home.
The Chief Minister made reference to that earlier, and made the point that we can see a power play on the other side of the Chamber. It is fascinating to watch and it is heartening to see the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Fannie Bay, having a crack. We know the member for Karama, the darling of the looney left, is running a cabal on the other side with the members for Namatjira and Araluen, the former failed Treasurer, and failed Health minister, and the member for Goyder, and pulling the strings of the members for Wanguri and Nightcliff. The poor old Opposition Leader has been a bit of a puppet …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; I love that the minister can recognise strong women on this side, but if he could come to the point and answer the question please.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has three minutes.
Mr TOLLNER: We can see the puppet master sitting over there …
Madam SPEAKER: Address your comments through the Chair please, minister.
Mr TOLLNER: I was, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, you were not. Address them through the Chair.
Mr TOLLNER: We can see the puppet master pulling the strings of those on the other side and the poor old puppet, the Opposition Leader, is being pulled this way and that. Last night he decided to hit back. He said:
- As you know, it is no secret that we got wrong how we created shires in the Northern Territory. I have said to the land councils, community leaders and ordinary Territorians that we did not listen and we should have.
Well done, Chief Minister, for fixing that problem:
- I am also prepared to say we made a mistake by not responding quickly enough to land release pressures. We moved to fix that, but were not quick enough.
That was the Opposition Leader having a crack at the member for Karama. Finally now though …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: No, there is no point of order.
Mr TOLLNER: We know Labor is not only soft on crime, but weak on debt and deficit. They have also told us they are weak on housing and land release policy. Thank goodness we have a Country Liberal government.
Economic Position of the NT
Ms LAWRIE to TREASURER
The Australian national accounts were released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. CommSec also released its economic insights into that. It states:
The best description of the performance of States and Territory economies is state final demand plus net exports.
…
The Northern Territory contracted by 13.8 per cent.
Leave granted.
Ms LAWRIE: Treasurer, you presided over a Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report that could not be a clean set of books as the Auditor-General was unable to sign off without a disclaimer. People cannot see what is occurring with Power and Water and we are still waiting for a Statement of Corporate Intent. Will you be the fall guy when the member for Drysdale goes to Cabinet at the end of the week and the member for Arnhem is paid off with the government Whip position?
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, it goes to the heart of public policy. You may answer the question if you so desire.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would not have thought that would pass as a question.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I said if you choose to answer the question you can.
Mr TOLLNER: I like the little slur she got away with, that is all.
I will happily answer the question from the shadow Treasurer about the books of the Northern Territory. We saw the previous Treasurer of the Northern Territory stick her foot in it yesterday in Question Time in relation to the TAFR. Let me make something extremely clear to all on the other side; it is complete bunkum to suggest the entire TAFR received a disclaimer of opinion. The Auditor-General was very specific. The Auditor’s concern only relates to the public non-financial corporation sector, which is the Power and Water Corporation.
The Auditor-General has provided qualified audit opinions on PWC for at least 10 years, the Attorney-General tells me. We came to government knowing there were problems with the Power and Water Corporation. We knew it was unaccountable and lacked transparency. The best way to fix it was to undertake a structural separation and put market reforms in place, which the shadow Treasurer …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; you have presided over a contracting economy. It is contracting by 13.8%.
Madam SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Ms LAWRIE: Will you be the fall guy for the member for Drysdale going into Cabinet and the member for Arnhem becoming Whip?
Mr TOLLNER: The shadow Treasurer, the quasi-Opposition Leader, is blinkered. If you read the Treasury papers or any reports, you would see we have the strongest economic growth in the nation.
Getting back to the basis of the question, the Power and Water Corporation required structural separation. We knew there were deep problems within the Power and Water Corporation. We knew the AMS system, which you had put in place …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; the economy has contracted by 13.8%.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Sit down.
Mr TOLLNER: Goodness me. Talk about trying to mislead people. First you ask a non-question, and then you want to try to clarify it.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please withdraw the word ‘misleading’.
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw. The quasi-Opposition Leader has developed a glass jaw in the last couple of days.
We knew the Power and Water Corporation was in dire financial straits. The AMS system did not work. The financial management system within the Power and Water Corporation did not work and, finally, we have proper audit reports on both Jacana and T-Gen.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; we have 13 seconds left. Will you answer the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated. It is not a point of order.
Mr TOLLNER: Pointless points of order from the quasi-Opposition Leader. This is the person who left us $5.5bn of projected debt and a $1.2bn budget deficit.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Law and Order – New Measures
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
As you well know, the people of Palmerston expect our government to be tough on crime. The people of Palmerston expect and deserve to live and raise their families in a safe community with safe streets. Earlier today we passed amendments to the Traffic Act, giving police new powers to test drivers for drug driving. Can you please update the House on how this fits into the Country Liberal Party’s commitment to law and order?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Drysdale. Territorians are again reminded why the Country Liberal Party is to be trusted to keep the Territory safe.
Crime stats are down. There are more police on the beat. We have provided tools police require to do their job effectively, and today we give police extra tools to detect more people under the influence of drugs and make them accountable. As of 1 February, if drivers get behind the wheel under the influence of drugs they will be caught. At lunch time today I was tested for drugs. When you see the two red lines there …
Ms Anderson: It means you are pregnant.
Mr CHANDLER: I thought the same thing when the test was done, but I am advised the two single lines mean it is working. If there were two lines there, there would be a problem and it would mean that I had cannabis or methamphetamines in my system.
I will take pregnancy over drugs any day. It is a serious message. Today we have provided a tool for police that will keep our roads safer. When we, or our families, are driving we want the streets to be safe; we expect them to be safe. With the acknowledgement of this parliament, today we have passed legislation to give this vital tool to the police.
We take road safety seriously in the Northern Territory. We reside in an area with a high rate of deaths on the roads. They are attributed to many things, such as not wearing seat belts, drink driving, drug driving and driving un-roadworthy vehicles. Sadly, many pedestrians are also killed in the Northern Territory.
As a responsible government, we are giving our police the tools to make our roads safer when you, your family members or anybody else drives a car in the Territory. This legislation was passed today to give police another tool for their tool box.
This is similar legislation to that in other jurisdictions and I welcome it. Everybody on this side welcomes this kind of legislation.
A Victorian study has indicated that around 20 deaths are prevented every year because of this legislation. Unlike the previous legislation, which was a bit wonky and a few things went amiss in the courts, this gives our police the right to test for drugs, just as they can pull people up and test for drink driving. Territorians will welcome this. We do not want people using drugs or drinking before driving on our streets. We want to keep our families safe.
The Northern Territory government has, and will continue to, put together a very strong, composite, rigorous package of policies and laws to make sure the Territory is safe, unlike Labor which wants to unpack and get rid of some of the good things the Country Liberals are doing, like paperless arrests and TBLs. How does the member for Barkly face his hometown of Tennant Creek, where we have seen crime rates drop by 51% because of this government’s policy to have TBLs? You want to take that away. How does the member for Barkly go back and say, ‘Sorry guys, in this town things will go through the roof’?
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; as the minister knows, Labor introduced TBLs and will keep TBLs.
Madam SPEAKER: No, sit down; it is not a point of order.
Mr CHANDLER: I pick up on the interjection. It is interesting because, again, we see division. There are members on the other side who have gone public and said they will get rid of TBLs.
Mr Giles: The members for Nightcliff and Nhulunbuy said they will be gone.
Ms Fyles: We never said we would get rid of them.
Mr CHANDLER: Yes, the member for Nightcliff said TBLs would be gone. There is division on the other side and we know it. They are not harsh on crime or law and order, unlike the Country Liberals. This government is tough on crime, and law and order. Unlike Labor, we are not soft on crime.
Education Results
Ms MANISON to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Under your government we have seen savage cuts to education. Schools have fewer teachers in the classroom and around $1000 less per student in government schools to educate students. The results of the NAPLAN tests show that since 2013, your first full year of government, Indigenous students’ results have reduced in eight out of 12 categories tested in reading, writing and numeracy. When will you accept that your cuts are damaging Territory students, especially in the bush?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what absolute rubbish! I would not believe anything coming from this mob. They have come in here time and again with statistics that you find - when you do a little research – are all made up.
The results in the bush have clearly shown improvement since 2008. We are coming ahead in leaps and bounds. I am not denying that we are coming off a pretty low base. Where did we come from after nearly 12 years of a Labor government?
As I said last night, we had the courage to lift the rock and look at what was under it when it came to Indigenous education. It scared the hell out of me because successive governments failed students in the bush.
We took that on and looked seriously at a review. This government has taken on the recommendations of A share in the future, and we are already seeing results. I have seen Labor-orientated teachers - and I have to admit there are a few - who are coming around to things like Direct Instruction.
Why are we introducing policies and programs like that? It is because they make a difference. When teachers come to you from the bush saying this is the best thing they have ever seen in Indigenous education …
Ms Fyles: Rubbish!
Mr CHANDLER: You are simply focusing on dollars again. You are jealous because we are getting better results. You spend money like it is confetti. We target the way we spend money. We will continue to spend money and focus on improving results. Under a Country Liberal government we are seeing advances across the Northern Territory. I am proud of the Education department. What I am sick and tired of is a Labor Party that constantly trashes our education system in the NT.
We should be proud of what our teachers are doing. We should be proud of the results we are getting and where we are going. They are all going in the right direction. Sadly, they will not want to hear this, but the results we are getting today are better than those we got under the former Labor government.
I would say I rest my case, but I cannot because these guys still think the way they did it was best. Like many things we found when we came to government, it is another mess we are trying to clean up. With education it will take a few years, but look at the results we have achieved in the early years. That is our focus. There is a new generation coming through and this is a game changer.
Members interjecting.
Mr CHANDLER: I am proud of the work we are doing and of our education system. Stop trashing it.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Can you remind honourable members of Standing Order 20?
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Port Darwin, please be seated.
Alcohol-Related Crime
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for BUSINESS
In my electorate, alcohol-related harm is a serious issue. Itinerants walk around Moulden Terrace, often causing problems. Many of my constituents are concerned about this. Can you outline what initiatives are being implemented to address alcohol-related harm, including crime and violence, in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I expect a great deal of shrillness from the other side of the Chamber because they do not like good news, good policies or good initiatives.
The CLP government is an advocate for the importance of self-responsibility, encouraging each community to drive local solutions to local problems. That is unlike Labor, which would see all of the initiatives that have been proven to work scrapped to the detriment of the safety and wellbeing of Territorians. This goes to show they have always been soft on crime. Let us look at voluntary liquor accords.
An example of this is an initiative taken by the CLP government to implement the Northern Territory’s first packaged liquor accord, which commenced a three-year trial period in August this year in Darwin city, Parap and Stuart Park. The accord puts in place restrictions surrounding the sale of takeaway alcohol, specifically targeting cheaper, high-volume packaged liquor products, such as cask wine. It is a voluntary agreement between licensees and stakeholders, including NT Police, the City of Darwin and Licensing NT. One of these strategies is the sale of one cask per person per day and only between 12.00 pm and 7 pm.
An initiative like this will see local stakeholders heavily involved in addressing issues of alcohol-related harm on a local level, achieving far more effective outcomes with a sense of community ownership and achievement.
I mentioned at the beginning of this what I expect to come from the other side. They do not like hearing good news; they do not like policies that work. I can understand that because most of their policies when they were in government did not work. They must like that sort of stuff. They feel right at home with policies that increase debt and do not work. These initiatives are working. They are improving the social fabric of communities previously suffering from alcohol-related harm and violence.
Ms Walker: Crime is up in Palmerston and Darwin.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy!
Mr STYLES: The shrill cries coming from the other side show they do not want to hear it. It indicates they do not want other people to hear it either. All they do is interrupt the good news flowing from this side of the Chamber.
Through these initiatives the Country Liberal government is empowering communities to work collaboratively to address their unique alcohol-related issues to benefit all Territorians. Labor would see initiatives such as these dumped as part of their soft-on-crime stance.
We congratulate those groups, and the CLP will continue to ensure they get the support they deserve. You cannot trust Labor members to support the initiatives that work because they are consistently soft on crime. They support gaols over hospitals, and support soft-on-crime policies.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of CDU Liaison Librarians undertaking professional development. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Parliament House. I hope you learn something about cataloguing this afternoon.
Members: Hear, hear!
_________________________
Education – Indigenous Staff
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Since the CLP came to government there has been a reduction of 117 Indigenous, mostly female, staff from the Department of Education. Indigenous staff numbers have dropped from 656 in June 2012 to 539 in June this year, according to your annual report. Your cuts to Education are not only affecting results, but also Indigenous employment. Why are you not fulfilling your government’s commitment of increasing Indigenous employment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. It goes to the nub of the issue with the Labor Party. They cannot get away from the facts. When we inherited the Department of Education we knew it was an inefficient model which was not delivering good results across the Northern Territory. We have turned it on its head and we are heading in the right direction. We have a far more efficient education system today than ever.
There is no department in the public sector with more Indigenous people than the Department of Education, and we are proud of that. We have many Indigenous staff members across the Northern Territory and many more will come. We see the wonderful work at Batchelor Institute and the locally grown teachers there, who are teaching in all parts of the Northern Territory.
The rhetoric pushed forward from the other side is trying to continually undermine and trash public education. Now they are peddling the line that all of a sudden they are in love with the private sector.
Ms Walker interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, cease interjecting. I want to hear the answer.
Mr CHANDLER: They do not like it. After three years of complaining, saying I did not support the public sector enough and had put my weight behind the private sector, they are now trying to jump into bed with the private sector for the first time, ruffle some feathers and see if they can upset the market since I said, ‘We’re coming to get you’.
I will do all I can to improve the public education system. Do you know what happens when you push the education system and provide policies that lift the bar in the public sector? The private sector also reacts and will lift the bar even further. What are the results? Higher education output in the Northern Territory and improved results, and I will continue to push both sectors. I have never said I was minister for public education or for private education. Yesterday, in a bill, the Labor Party wanted to exclude the private sector from an education board. They wanted to have public sector parents involved and exclude the private sector.
We should remind the non-government sector, the private sector …
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110:
- Answers will be concise and directly relevant to the question asked.
The question was about why you are not fulfilling your government’s commitment to increasing Indigenous employment, especially in education, when you have cut over 100 jobs.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you get to the point, please?
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister has set us harder targets than the Labor Party had, which we are committed to achieving because we want a strong Indigenous workforce.
Alcohol-Related Crime – TBL Effectiveness
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for BUSINESS
In keeping with our law and order theme today, and how proactive the Country Liberal government has been in addressing law and order issues across the Territory, can you please update the House on the implementation and expansion of the TBLs, or Point of Sale Interventions as they are now known, and the positive impact that has had on alcohol consumption across the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I expect more shrillness from across the Chamber.
I have heard members opposite say this side of the Chamber has no idea what it is doing. That is their measurement because they say we have no idea, but we are achieving far more. Everything that should be going up is going up, and everything that should be going down is going down.
They say we have no idea of what we are doing over here, but the Territory is going really well. It is a judgment on their own judgments, because they achieved worse results than we are achieving.
In relation to Point of Sale Interventions, some enormous improvements have been achieved by the Giles government in minimising alcohol-related harm. The 2015 Northern Territory wholesale alcohol report, released last month, shows a significant reduction in supply, accompanied by a dramatic decrease in alcohol-related assaults, especially in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. It showed per capita consumption of alcohol across the NT dropped to 12.21L in 2014. That is the lowest figures since 2007. Consumption decreased by 10% in Alice Springs during the same time. The supply of wine dropped by 7%, with cask wine down dramatically by 77%, and spirits and beer decreased by 12%. Tennant Creek recorded a 22% drop in overall alcohol supply. Nhulunbuy was down 4% and Katherine slowed to a 1% decrease.
Importantly, these fantastic figures achieved in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek are paired with an equally fantastic reduction in assault involving alcohol. During the same period, these assaults declined by 32% in Alice Springs and a massive 60% in Tennant Creek. Point of Sale Interventions, or POSIs as they are called - formerly temporary beat locations - were implemented in Alice Springs in February 2014, and in Tennant Creek in March 2014. The substantial decrease in alcohol supply and corresponding drops in alcohol-related assaults are undeniable proof POSIs are working.
I am not surprised they jump up and down on the other side of the Chamber when they hear good news. Labor would have the community believe POSIs are a waste of time and police resources. We heard in the Chamber yesterday that they would scrap them.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. It was a direct question; why will you not read out the figures for Darwin and the northern suburbs?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has time to answer the question.
Mr STYLES: They do not like good news; they try to detract from many things. I put it to the Labor members that women, children and men have escaped assault, injury, illness and hardships due to these reductions. We have strong evidence supporting POSIs, and the Country Liberal government is working to ensure it is a sustainable strategy into the future. We have consulted and we have the results, which speak for themselves. Good luck getting rid of them in Katherine.
Education – Indigenous Staff Cuts
Mr McCARTHY to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Under your watch the number of assistant Indigenous teachers has been reduced by 40. The number of Indigenous classroom teachers has been reduced by nine. We have seen five Indigenous trainee teacher positions disappear. Not only are you cutting Indigenous jobs, you are deskilling Indigenous people training to lead their schools and communities. Please explain to this House why you are targeting Indigenous staff cuts in Territory schools.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think this is a disgusting question. This week we opened a new Transition unit. There are 13 Indigenous staff members in the new Transition unit.
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 20; the interruption level is getting out of hand.
Madam SPEAKER: I agree with you, Leader of Government Business. I want to hear the answer as well as the question. Please cease calling out from your chairs, otherwise you will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Mr CHANDLER: They get really riled about education because they hate to see the results. The Country Liberal government is delivering better results than the former Labor government. We are not using money as a measure of success in education; we are using results.
We do not have a cap on teacher or staff numbers. We are working on a number of programs in partnership with the federal government to increase attendance across the board. The key factor is to bring attendance rates up across the board, especially in our remote locations.
With the policies we are introducing, and from working with Nigel Scullion, the Senator in Canberra, these processes will work towards increasing attendance rates in the bush. With an increase in attendance, resources to schools also increase. That is the way the system works. There is no cap on resources based on attendance.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. You do not improve attendance rates by cutting Indigenous staff.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr CHANDLER: We are getting better results than the former Labor government did. The mob over there failed in their duty.
I will not go past the intent. They were trying to give opportunities to students in the bush. I get it; that is great. But I put on the record again that you cannot provide the same level of educational opportunities at Yuendumu, Numbulwar, Borroloola or any other remote location as you do at Darwin High School.
Ms Fyles: You have no idea.
Mr CHANDLER: No, you have no idea. You tried and you failed. Look at the results when they were in government. We can go through the statistics and clearly show they were not getting the results. What do we need to do? Goodness gracious, they had …
Ms Walker: Shame on you.
Mr CHANDLER: No, shame on you! You had Year 12 students who could not read and write, but they passed your test. That is shameful.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. First, do not yell across the Chamber. Second, direct your comments through the Chair.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the member direct his comments through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated.
Mr CHANDLER: We put up with voiceovers, innuendos and vitriol. I am sorry; I apologise for getting a bit out of control, but I am passionate because the stats prove that under their watch …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Paperless Arrest Laws
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and JUSTICE
Palmerston police do a fantastic job in our community. The people of Palmerston expect our government to give police every tool necessary to keep our community safe. Palmerston wants police on our streets and not in the office. The paperless arrest laws have now been confirmed by the High Court. Can you tell us how the paperless arrest laws are an additional tool to help police reduce crime across the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is quite simple. A police officer who exercises the powers of arrest in the Northern Territory in relation to a summary offence is able to dispose of that matter quickly and get back out on the street, which is where the people of Palmerston would expect their police officers to be.
The mob opposite will repeal paperless arrests and bury police under a mountain of paperwork going forward. They will make sure police will not be available to deal with crimes in their community. That is because they believe perpetrators are victims. That is their world philosophy. I will give you a bit of evidence to prove that. Today we heard the member for Nhulunbuy, the shadow Attorney-General, saying they need therapy.
Therapy is the way forward for violent perpetrators, according to the member for Nhulunbuy. She advocates justice reinvestment. Do you know how you pay for justice reinvestment? You shut down prisons. I would like to hear from the member for Nhulunbuy which gaol in the Northern Territory they will shut down so they can pay for the therapy going forward. Perhaps a little reiki or Gestalt therapy, or maybe a couch these people can lie on, and we can say, ‘You are a victim. When you were beating your wife senseless, you were the victim.’ That is the argument those opposite would put forward.
Why do they take this approach? Because they believe everybody is a victim and society is the offender; society becomes this nebulous idea where we will say nobody is accountable or responsible for their actions. They will get rid of TBLs, alcohol mandatory treatment, Alcohol Protection Orders and paperless arrests. Do you know what they will give you in return? They will provide a licence scanner.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The minister talks about responsibility, but will he take responsibility for the 37 prisoners who have escaped, or will he continue to blame the public servants?
Mr GILES: Speaking to the point of order, he was answering the question. It was a question from our colleague, the member for Drysdale, and I want to hear the answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 20. I also want to hear the answers. I have already asked you to stop yelling across the Chamber. The next person who yells across the Chamber leaves the Chamber.
Mr ELFERINK: All they have is a licence scanner. It will protect us from violent perpetrators, alien invasions and all sorts of things, because they will scan your licence.
A man beating his wife - that is what we are seeking to protect Territorians from. When people make fools of themselves in the street we expect the police to do something about it then get back out on the street as quickly possible. We have facilitated that. Those police officers have been far more effective in recent times than we have seen in years. Those opposite do not want police to exercise their powers of arrest. It is somehow distasteful. The power of arrest police officers have is the only thing standing between Territorians and Labor-promoted anarchy.
Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER TO QUESTION
Power and Water – Possible East Arm Depot
Power and Water – Possible East Arm Depot
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Essential Services): Madam Speaker, I have been advised by the PWC there are no planned changes to PWC activities at 19 Mile, McMinns pumping station, the training facility and the electrical maintenance depot, which are all located on one lot.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016